The Banner Boy Scouts eBook

“Then you are in trouble; and you mean
to confess to me? Thank you, Paul, for what you
say. I don’t think I ever had any cause
for worrying that I didn’t come straight to
you for comfort. And I always got it, too.”

“Even when you and Dorothy had that nasty little
spat that began to look serious until I just happened
to find the note that made all the trouble, and forced
Eli Kosmer to confess he wrote it. You remember
that time, Jack?”

“I guess I do. Dorothy often speaks of
it to this day; for we’re good friends, and
always will be. But see here, why do you just
happen to mention that business? Oh! I begin
to see now,” added Jack, as Paul turned red
in the face, and laughed in a rather constrained way.

“I shouldn’t wonder but what you did.
I’m sure I’ve denied every other cause
you could think of,” he said, sighing heavily.

“It’s Arline then. She’s been
doing something. Yes, I remember now that I saw
her out riding with Ward Kenwood only yesterday.
Say, that dude has been saying something that wasn’t
true about you, Paul, I’d just wager anything.
He’s gone and poisoned her ears with a yarn.
It’d be just like the sneak!”

“Just go slow, Jack. You’re saying
something that you can’t prove. Of course
I believe myself that Ward wouldn’t stop at anything
like that; but without the least proof I can’t
accuse him of it,” Paul said, severely.

“But you could ask Arline?” his friend
went on.

“Could I? Well, when a girl chooses to
turn me down without a hearing, and even smiles when
she drives past me in the company of a fellow she
knows I detest, and whom she has often said she disliked,
what then? Think I would so far forget myself
as to get down on my knees, and beg her to take me
back into favor? Bah!”

“Is it so bad as that then? Oh well, there
are other girls just as pretty as Arline; and you’ve
always been a great favorite with them, Paul; but
hold on, why not let me try to straighten this thing
out? You’ve helped me all right; and tit
for tat is fair play.”

“H’m! how do you think you could do anything,
Jack? I don’t suppose you’d care
to go straight to her, and ask her point blank what
I’d done to make her treat me so cruelly?
I shouldn’t think of allowing that at all?”

Paul tried to display an air of indifference; but
it was poorly assumed; and his chum knew full well
that he was much more pained at these strange actions
on the part of Arline than he cared to admit.

“Oh! there are ways and ways. For instance,
you know that Dorothy is one of the crowd of high
school girls Arline goes with. Ward’s sister
Mazie is another; and that might account for her being
at his house so much. Now, suppose you let me
tell Dorothy. She’ll keep it a dead secret,
and in some way manage to get a confession. Say
you will, Paul!”

“Have it your own way, old fellow. I’m
just about ready to wash my hands of the whole business.
Besides, I’ve really too many irons in the fire
to be bothering over the silly notions of girls.”